Dispenser mounting means



June 25, 1968 H. w. JOHNSON 3,389,883

DISPENSER MOUNTING MEANS Filed March 4, 1966 INVENTOR C I f HOWARD m uamvso/v BY 252 224 22W Q ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,389,883 DISPENSER MOUNTING MEANS Howard W. Johnson, Park Forest, 111., assiguor to Solo Cup Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 531,843 4 Claims. (Cl. 248224) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A two-piece mounting means for dispensers and the like is disclosed. One piece of the mounting means is a wall bracket having a sloped upper surface in which there is formed a semispherical seat or pocket and a slot. The other piece of the mounting means presents a matching semispherical head for reception in the seat and a centering web extending downwardly from the head for coaction with the slot in the first piece.

This invention relates to mounting means for a cup dispenser or the like wherein a first bracket is mounted on -a wall surface or the like and a second bracket extends from the dispenser and is coactible with the first bracket in such manner that the dispenser can be readily removed from the first bracket or returned thereto, and when supported thereby will assume a predetermined attitude, for instance, with a cylindrical portion of the dispenser on a chosen vertical axis.

An object of the invention is to provide coacting mounting brackets, one of which presents a canted semispherical seat, and the other a canted semispherical head to seat therein, means being provided for permitting the entry of the head into the seat by reason of the seat having an open-end slot at one side and the head having a narrow neck portion to enter through the slot whereupon the bracket with the head may depend from the socket formed by the semispherical seat for rigidly supporting the dispenser with respect to the wall on which the bracket with the seat is mounted.

A further object is to provide stop flanges at the sides of the slot in the semispherical seat, and lateral enlargements from the sides of the narrow neck portion of the head which coact with the stop flanges, the flanges and enlargements cooperating with the head when seated in the seat to hold the dispenser rigidly at the desired attitude.

A still further object is to provide a mounting means for a dispenser wherein the members of the mounting means are positioned so that a particular chosen side or area of the dispenser is exposed away from the wall to which the mounting means is attached.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my dispenser mounting means, whereby the objects above contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in detail on the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a dispenser and my mounting means therefor showing the mounting means attached to a vertical wall surface;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof with a portion of one bracket broken away and another portion shown in section to show the mounting of the mounting means on the wall;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first bracket of the mounting means;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 showing a portion of the wall of the dispenser and a second bracket of the mounting means; and

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FIG. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of FIG. showing the coaction' of the two brackets with g each other.

On' the accompanying drawing I have used the 'refer ence character D to indicate in general a dispenser, C', th e articles to be dispensed, such as paper or plastic cups, A; a first bracket and B a second bracket. The dispenser D may be of the type shown in copending application, Ser. No. 531,842, filed Mar. 4, 1966, now Patent No. 3,342,375 issued Sept. 19, 1967.

The first bracket A comprises a vertical flange 10 adapted for mounting on a wall 14, as by screws 15 shown in FIG. 2. An angular flange 12 extends upwardly and away from the wall 14 at an angle of approximately 45 and is provided with a semispherical seat 18. The flange 12 and the seat 18 are reinforced by side flanges 16.

"The second bracket B'is provided with-a semispherical head 20 canted at an angle of approximately 45 and adapted to seat in the seat 18. From one side of the head 21) a narrow neck 22 of flange-like character extends-to ward the dispenser D for connecting the head to the dispenser. The head and the dispenser may be integrally formed by molding them of a material 'such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The semispherical seat 18 is provided with an openend slot 24 as best shown in FIG. 3 through which the neck 22 may be passed for mounting and demounting the dispenser on the bracket A. Referring to FIG. 5, it will be noted that the narrow neck 22 is considerably narrower than the width of the slot 24 so that there Will be no interference between the neck and the sides of the slot as the dispenser is mounted on the bracket A, and the semispherical head 20 will have freedom to move in the seat 18 to etfectively coact therewith to support the dispenser. In addition, the spacing, provided between the neck 22 and the sidewalls of the slot 24, tends to decrease the likelihood of fracturing either the neck 22 or the sidewalls of the slot during normal use of the dispenser D.

By having the flange 12 extending at an angle as shown, the entry of the head 20 into the seat 18 is facilitated and the weight of the dispenser D, when imposed on the bracket A, will guide the head 20 into theproper position in the seat 18 and, at the same time, permit easy removal when it is desired to fill the dispenser with a fresh supply of cups C.

Without some means to stop the rotation of the head 20 in the seat 18, in a vertical plane, the lower end of the dispenser would engage the wall 14 and the dispenser would hang at an undesirable angle. Accordingly, I provide stop means in the form of stop flanges 26 extending from the seat 18 adjacent the slot 24 and lateral stop enlargements 28 on the narrow neck 22, as shown in FIG. 5. The flanges 26 and the enlargements 28 coact with each other to hold the dispenser at the desired attitude (with its axis vertical as shown in FIG. 2). The coaction of the flanges 26 with the enlargements 28 is also illustrated in FIG. 2, the point of engagement being indicated by the arrow 30. The weight of the dispenser is thus imposed on the stop surfaces of the flanges 26 and the enlargements 28 so that the engagement at 30 acts as a pivot point to firmly seat the semispherical head 20 in the semispherical seat 18 because of such weight. This provides the rigid support for the dispenser and insures its positioning so that a chosen side is always exposed away from the wall.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that I have provided a comparatively simple two-bracket device for removably supporting a dispenser or the like with respect to a wall surface. The brackets have rugged c0- acting parts for effective support, and for positioning the 3 dispenser at the desired attitude with respect to the wall surface.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my dispenser mounting means without departing from the true spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may reasonably be included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. Dispenser mounting means of the character disclosed comprising a first bracket adapted for attachment to a wall or the like, and a second bracket projecting from a dispenser and adapted for coaction with said first bracket, said first bracket the upper surface thereof being canted upwardly from said wall and having an open-top semispherical seat provided with an open-end slot in one side thereof, said second bracket being canted downward- 1y from said dispenser and having a semispherical head adapted to seat in said semispherical seat, said second bracket having a narrow neck portion projecting from one side of said head and adapted to be removably entered into said slot.

2. Dispenser mounting means in accordance with claim 1 wherein stop means is provided on said semisp'herical seat and stop means adapted to coact with said first stop means is provided on said neck portion whereby when said semispherical head is seated in said semispherical seat the dispenser will be held at a predetermined attitude.

3. Dispenser mounting means in accordance with claim 2 wherein said first stop means comprises stop flanges 4 I projecting from the back of said semispherical seat toward the dispenser and said second stop means comprises lateral enlargements on said narrow neck.

4. In a dispenser mounting means, a first bracket adapted for attachment to a wall or the like and a second bracket projecting from a dispenser and adapted for coaction with said first bracket, said first bracket having an open-top semispherical seat provided with an open-end slot in one side thereof, said second bracket having a semispherical head adapted to seat in said semispherical seat and having a narrow neck portion at one side adapt ed to be removably entered into said said slot, said open top of said semispherical seat being in a plane at substantially to the wall surface on which said first bracket is mounted, said semispherical seat being provided with stop flanges at the sides of the slot therein and said second bracket having enlargements adjacent said narrow neck portion adapted to engage said stop flanges to thereby limit the seating of said semispherical head in said semispherical seat to a position in which the dispenser is substantially vertical when in the supported position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1948 Sears 248-309 XR 7/1965 Staver 248-4759 XR 

